The present invention relates to a weight bench for supporting a weight-laden bar. In particular, the present invention relates to a weight bench having arms for supporting a weight-bar, the arms movable between a retracted position and a lift-off position.
Current wisdom, both among the current population and physicians, trainers, and other health care related personnel, is that exercise is beneficial to the health and well-being of individuals. For this reason, more and more individuals are engaging in exercise programs to build muscular strength and improve cardiovascular capacity.
Recently, some fitness experts have declared one or more of the xe2x80x9cstandbyxe2x80x9d weight training exercises as undesirable or dangerous. In particular, some have declared these exercises unhealthy, or as creating a risk of injury high enough that they are not recommended to the majority of the population. Unfortunately, no substitute exercise is often available which is as effective as the particular weight-training exercise.
One exercise which has been viewed at times with some negativity is the bench press. In this exercise, a user lays on his back on a bench, and then raises and lowers a weight-laden bar over his chest while grasping the bar with his hands. This exercise can entail the lifting of a considerable amount of weight, often hundreds of pounds. The actual pressing of the weight-laden bar up and down does not pose the most substantial risk of injury during the exercise, however.
To commence a bench press, the bar must be retained in a position away from the bench so the person exercising can move into the correct position on the bench. Once positioned on the bench, the user moves the bar into position and starts the exercise.
Normally, the person exercising lays on a flat bench located between two upwardly extending support posts. The bar, in its resting position, is located on hooks extending outwardly from the posts. The user lays on the bench, reaches upwardly and grasps the bar, and then removes it from the hooks to begin the exercise.
In order that the support posts and hooks not obstruct the area in which the exerciser moves the bar up and down during the exercise, the support posts are located behind the user""s shoulders and approximately on either side of the user""s head. The location of the posts means that the user must reach backwardly to grasp the bar and lift it off of the posts.
Because the support posts are located behind the lifter""s head, his arms are in an awkward position when the bar is lifted from the supports. In this position, the exerciser has reduced strength and control over the weight, and the shoulders are in a position in which they are most susceptible to extreme stress and injury. A lifter otherwise capable of completing the exercise of moving the bar up and down over his chest can injure himself when attempting to lift the bar from the posts.
One method of reducing this risk of injury has been to have a xe2x80x9cspotterxe2x80x9d aid in lifting the bar from the hooks and positioning the bar over the chest of the exerciser. In addition to the inconvenience of requiring the presence of a second person, this method has two serious drawbacks which can result in injury to both the spotter and the exerciser. First, the spotter must stand behind the head of the exerciser and lift the bar off of the posts. The spotter reaches forward and lifts the bar from the posts in a maneuver which approximates an upright rowing exercise. The spotter then moves the bar outwardly from his body over the chest of the exerciser. When the spotter lifts the bar from the posts, the spotter is lifting a substantial amount of weight in a weak position. The spotter often suffers shoulder injuries as a result. Secondly, because the exerciser and bench prevent the spotter from moving forward, the spotter must lean over or extend his reach to place the bar over the exerciser""s chest. The spotter can suffer back, shoulder, and arm injuries as a result.
Moreover, the exerciser can suffer injuries when a spotter is used. Because the exerciser does not lift all of the weight on the bar from the post, the exerciser does not adjust and stabilize the bar as it is removed from the post. Therefore, when the spotter releases his grip from the bar when it is located over the exerciser, the shift in weight to the exerciser is often so sudden that the exerciser has difficulty in stabilizing the bar. As a result, the exerciser can drop the bar, or injure shoulder or arm muscles attempting to right the bar.
Another risk of injury from the bench press exercise arises if the exerciser is incapable of returning the weight-laden bar to the hooks on the support post. This often occurs when the exerciser is fatigued and unable to press the bar high enough to reach the hooks.
Normally, exercisers also engage a spotter who aids in raising the bar to its resting position if the exerciser encounters these difficulties. As described above, however, because of the position of the spotter and the exerciser, the spotter is not in position in which he can offer substantial leverage to lift the bar from the exerciser, and can injure himself attempting to reach over and lift the bar upwardly.
Other exercises which have substantially the same arrangement whereby the bar is supported in a resting location which is not easily reached by the exerciser for use present many of the same problems and risks of injury. Such exercises include the incline bench press, the decline bench press, and the military bar press.
In accordance with the present invention a weight-bar support structure having weight-bar supporting arms which are movable between a first retracted weight-bar supporting position and a second weight-bar lift-off position is provided.
In a first form of the invention, the support structure includes an elongate horizontally mounted user supporting platform, and two upwardly extending posts located on either side of the platform. A weight-bar supporting arm is connected to a lug extending outwardly from each post.
The arm has a first end portion connected to the lug. Pins pass through a sleeve in outer flange portions on each side of the arm and engage opposite sides of the lug. In this fashion, the arm is rotatably connected to the lug.
A xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d-shaped weight-bar support member is located at a second end portion of the arm. The bottom portion of the xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d-shaped member forms a bar supporting cradle. The top portion of the xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d-shaped member acts as a guide means for directing the bar back into the cradle.
Each arm is moveable from a first retracted position in which the arm extends substantially upwardly along the post, to a weight-bar lift-off position in which the arm extends outwardly over the platform. A cushion is located on the lug for engagement with a bottom edge of the arm for limiting the rotation of the arm at the lift-off position. A stop located on the back of the arm engages another cushion on the lug for limiting the rotation of the arm at the retracted position.
Return or biasing means are provided for automatically moving the arms from the lift-off position to the retracted position when the user removes the weight-bar from the arms. The return means comprises a flat spring having a first end connected to the arm and a second end connected to the lug.
In use of this form of the invention, primarily for use in the exercise known as the xe2x80x9cbench press,xe2x80x9d a user places a bar into the cradles of each arm with the arms in the retracted position. The user lays on the platform and moves the bar and arms to the lift-off position. When the user lifts the bar from the cradles, the spring in each arm returns the arm to the retracted position. After the user has completed the exercise, he moves the bar against the guides, and downwardly into the cradles.
A second form of the invention comprises a device for use by a user in doing a xe2x80x9cmilitaryxe2x80x9d press exercise. In this form of the invention, the device includes a user-engaging platform in the form of a seat, and a weight-bar support structure.
The seat and a seat back are supported by a seat frame. The weight-bar support structure includes two posts extending vertically upwardly on either side of the seat and in front thereof. The posts are supported by a frame which is connected to the frame which supports the seat.
Lugs extend outwardly from the top end of each of the posts in the direction of the seat. Movably mounted on each lug is a weight-bar supporting arm like that described above.
In using this form of the invention, the user places a weight-bar into the cradles of each arm with the arms in retracted position. The user sits on the seat with his back against the seat back, and moves the arms to the lift-off position. When the user lifts the bar upwardly, the arms return to their retracted position. After completion of the exercise, the user places the bar back into the cradle of each arm.
A third form of the invention comprises a device for use by a user in doing an xe2x80x9cinclinexe2x80x9d press exercise. In this form of the invention, the device includes a user-engaging platform in the form of a seat, and a weight-bar support structure.
The seat and a seat back are supported by a frame. The weight-bar support structure includes two posts extending vertically upwardly on either side of the seat. The seat is located forwardly of the arms, while the seat back slopes upwardly and rearwardly from the seat to a point behind the arms. The posts are supported by a frame which is connected to the frame which supports the seat.
Lugs extend outwardly from the top end of each of the posts in the direction of the seat. Movably mounted on each lug is a weight-bar supporting arm like that described above.
In using this form of the invention, the user places a weight-bar into the cradles of each arm with the arms in retracted position. The user sits on the seat with his back against the seat back, and moves the arms to the lift-off position. When the user lifts the bar upwardly, the arms return to their retracted position. After completion of the exercise, the user places the bar back into the cradle of each arm.
A fourth form of the invention comprises a device for use by a user in doing either an xe2x80x9cinclinexe2x80x9d press or xe2x80x9cmilitaryxe2x80x9d press exercise. In this form of the invention, the device includes a user-engaging platform in the form of first and second seats and a seat back, and a weight-bar support structure.
The weight-bar support structure includes two posts extending vertically upwardly and spaced apart by a horizontal support. The seat members and seat back are located between the posts. The first seat member is located adjacent the support, and the second seat member is located outwardly of the support in front of the arms. The seat back extends upwardly between the first and second seat members. The seat back is movable from a first position in which it extends vertically upward, to a second position in which it slopes upwardly and rearwardly to a position behind the arms. Lugs extend outwardly from the top end of each of the posts. Movably mounted on each lug is a weight-bar supporting arm like that described above.
In using this form of the invention, the user places a weight-bar into the cradles of each arm with the arms in retracted position. To do a xe2x80x9cmilitaryxe2x80x9d press, the user places the seat back in a vertical position and sits on the first seat member facing the arms. To do an xe2x80x9cinclinexe2x80x9d press exercise, the user tilts the seat back rearwardly and sits on the second seat member, facing away from the arms. The remainder of the exercise is like that described above.
Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the drawings which follows, when considered with the attached figures.